He became more and more agitated with each word, losing track of what he tried to say. Hakken stepped to his side and put an arm around his shoulders, chuckling and shaking him in a friendly manner. Dröm shut his mouth, paled, and stared at him as if Hakken sprouted a second head.
“Hey... I understand,” Hakken said, “you keep trying to fix things on your own because you think it’s your responsibility.”
Maeve always saw Hakken as a hefty man, but standing next to Dröm, he looked like a boy. She smiled at Flyg when the girl moved to take her by her arm, both walking ahead of their mates, quietly listening to their conversation.
Hakken carried on. “I used to be the same. Well... not exactly, I didn’t try to fix anything to be honest. Nevermind… what I’m trying to say is, you don’t need to fear you’re asking too much or overstepping if we offer help. Some things we can’t do on our own.”
After a while, both men lagged. Maeve sneaked a peek, finding Hakken talking nonstop and Dröm listening enthralled.
Kniv trotted to her side and whispered to her. “I have no idea what might have happened to that boy while he horsed around in the afterlife, but I sure do like the quiet, brooding Hakken more.”
“No, you don’t!” Maeve scolded him with a smirk. “You don’t fool me, Kniv. You have been beaming all afternoon, watching him taking control and bossing the elders around.”
Kniv smiled and shrugged. “I know. I’m so proud of him.” He turned to her, alarmed. “Anyway, don’t tell him what I said! I’ve started to imagine him becoming our next patriarch!”
Later that night, the village’s dinner was the weirdest, sweetest, and most awkward any river children remembered. Everyone was too happy to share their food with the mountain tribe, but it soon became apparent their guests were overwhelmed. There was a lot of thanking and apologizing. Sheepishness overcame even the most formidable warriors, and conversation developed a bit strained. But little by little, they relaxed. A quick laugh here. A smile. Grateful, shy tears. It was a tender moment.
Maeve carefully assessed the emotional state of the tribes while ensuring Dröm his people were doing better. They sat together, sharing a meal while Flyg slept soundly next to Dröm.
The mountain leader was curious about her—a human girl with magic.
“The world has changed a great deal since last we met. I wished I’d led my people to reach the other tribes sooner.” Dröm kept relapsing into guilt and regret. “I fear they’re too broken now. I should have been braver.”
There is a limit to how many times you can tell someone what happened is not their fault. Dröm would need to get stronger on his own, but meanwhile, Maeve could do something else to help. “If you like, I can meet all your people one by one. To help them cope. This probably affected everyone in different ways, so some might need extra care.”
“You don’t need to—”
“Yes, Dröm. But I want to help.” Dröm was a tough nut to crack regarding accepting help. “This is my home now, and I want to do as much as I can to make sure all my family is safe.”
Dröm gave her a lopsided smirk. “Are all humans like you? I tried to kill you, I killed your mate, but you still find it in you to call me family.”
She smiled back. “Tell you what... if you and Flyg visit often, I will officially declare you my brother.”
Dröm let out a heartfelt laugh, drawing Hakken’s attention. He sat with Kniv and Regn, close to them. As soon as their eyes met, he sent Maeve a stunning smile. “I can see why he is so smitten with you,” Dröm said, “magic or not, you have a gift to make people hopeful.”
They fell in peaceful silence, interrupted by the comforting crackling fire and the merry voices around them. Maeve raised her gaze to the stars, the beautiful face of a troubled child flashing in her mind. “What would become of them? Of Pouri?” She asked out loud, not expecting an answer.
Dröm grew quiet for a moment, gazing at the same stars. When he finally allowed himself to speak, she recognized a sorrowful tone in his voice. “After all the time I spent under Pouri’s grip, her mind slowly unraveled for me. I guess it was inevitable. You can’t spend so much time sharing your thoughts without letting a thing or two slip.”
Maeve listened as he closed his eyes, and she sensed him struggling with the memory. He didn’t try to forget. Dröm sought to come to terms with it.
“It always baffled me how no emotions came from her. She was as cold as a rock underwater—” he shuddered— “but beneath the sterile facade, I recognized something. A little pain, almost trivial, but constant. Only today, I realized, she missed her siblings.”
Dröm sighed. “All this pain and death because a little girl missed playing with her brother and sister.”
But that wasn’t quite right. Pouri was not throwing a tantrum; she was not breaking toys to call their attention. She had been pivotal in their efforts to shape their world, to achieve balance. She felt useful, needed, only to be cast aside when they no longer required her power. “I’m not sure I agree with you, Dröm. You can’t
